1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:16,000 Matthew, Chapter 12. So Jesus is. 2 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,680 If we go back to verse 22, remember that Jesus cast a demon 3 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:22,840 out and then this whole monologue began that we're in 4 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,800 the middle of right now. Jesus, I told you last week, has 5 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:27,720 been dropping bombs on these guys. 6 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,560 And he is speaking with the most authority that he's spoken with 7 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,280 so far. He's spoken with clarity before. 8 00:00:33,480 --> 00:00:36,840 He's spoken with sincerity before, but the amount of 9 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,680 authority and the amount of weight, and we really see Jesus, 10 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,120 the judge. Would Jesus judge people? 11 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:43,960 Of course he would. Jesus does the right thing at 12 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,720 the right time. And in this moment, he's doing 13 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,200 the right thing at the right time as well. 14 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,480 So we're zooming in and we're paying attention and we're 15 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:53,880 noticing what's needed and what's necessary in this moment. 16 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:55,680 So we're going to consider all the context. 17 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,480 You know how when you read something, sometimes it's easy 18 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,960 to to to just keep it flatline instead of considering what's 19 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,640 actually happening. So I'm not going to fully 20 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,160 dramatize the entire event, but I'm going to do my best to 21 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,400 communicate and emphasize verbally as I read this portion 22 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,640 of text to you because we're going to go all the way through 23 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,760 now to verse 45, but we're going to start in verse 22. 24 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,920 Then a demon oppressed man was who was blind and mute was. 25 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:26,360 Brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and 26 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,160 saw. That should have been just the 27 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,880 time for everybody to rejoice. That should have been the praise 28 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,160 God. God is good, Jesus is wonderful. 29 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:35,920 Thank you, Lord. Look at what he does. 30 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,320 He does all things well. That's it really just should 31 00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:40,680 have been the end of the story. And everyone rejoiced and 32 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,560 everyone was thrilled and the people were amazed and they 33 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,600 said, could this be the son of David? 34 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,600 What's building faith? The Holy Spirit's going. 35 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,360 Look, this is what this is what was supposed to happen. 36 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:54,440 This is the Messiah. He's the one. 37 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,280 But when the Pharisees heard of it, they said it's only by 38 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:03,560 Beelzebul, the Prince of demons, that this man casts out demons. 39 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,360 And now Jesus gives them the full force of what they had 40 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:10,360 coming. Knowing their thoughts, He said 41 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:14,440 to them, every Kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, 42 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:17,080 and no. City or house divided against 43 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,160 itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, 44 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,040 he's divided against himself. How then will his Kingdom stand? 45 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:28,720 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebel, by whom do your sons 46 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,480 cast them out? That might have even drawn 47 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:31,960 laughter from the crowd like you. 48 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,840 This is getting tense. This is awkward. 49 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,280 Maybe they were inside a house. We don't know the exact 50 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,760 scenario, but we know there was a crowd. 51 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,120 So if I'm casting out demons by the power of Satan, is that your 52 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,240 argument? Who do your disciples cast 53 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:48,680 demons out by? Because you guys are also 54 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,960 casting out demons. So how do you guys do it? 55 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:53,760 What is he doing? He's throwing their hypocrisy, 56 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:58,120 their pride, their foolishness, their rebellion in their face. 57 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:00,640 Notice how he's not being gentle going? 58 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:02,720 Let's have a winsome conversation here. 59 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,880 He's saying no, I know a wolf and a snake when I see it, and 60 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,680 I'm going to call it such. I'm not going to pretend I'm 61 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,880 dealing with a sheep when I know better just because sheep are 62 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,240 watching. And that can be tense for sheep 63 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:15,880 because innocent sheep are going. 64 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:17,800 Why is the shepherd being mean to that guy? 65 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,520 Because you don't know that's a wolf. 66 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,480 You might not know what a wolf looks like sometimes, but the 67 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,880 shepherd does. Shepherds have an eye for these 68 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:26,280 things. Shepherd have shepherds have a 69 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,400 nose for these things. But the sheep just go. 70 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,240 I didn't know the shepherd would smack somebody with a stick. 71 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:33,520 Yes, shepherds smack with a stick sometimes. 72 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:34,560 Well. Who do they smack? 73 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:36,520 Wolves. That's who's supposed to get 74 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,840 smacked with a stick, and that's what's happening here. 75 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:40,720 By whom do your sons cast them out? 76 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,760 Therefore they will be your judges. 77 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:48,520 But if it's by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the 78 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:50,520 Kingdom of God has come upon you. 79 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,720 Or how can you enter a strong man's house? 80 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,160 He's going back into the point. Your. 81 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,080 Point is so stupid is what he's saying to them. 82 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,320 How could you enter a strong man's house? 83 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,800 So in this example, the devil is supposedly the strong man here 84 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,320 and Jesus is going to enter the strong man's house to take the 85 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:10,520 goods. The goods are you and I. 86 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,480 Jesus wants to rescue you and I from the devil. 87 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,320 And he's just making making fools of them, saying how stupid 88 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:19,440 their point is. How can someone enter a strong 89 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:20,800 man's house? Or he's saying, how could I 90 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,400 enter the devil's house and plunder his goods? 91 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,400 Unless he first ties up the strongman, binds the strongman, 92 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,000 then indeed he may plunder his house. 93 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,720 He's saying I just tied up and bound the devil, and then I 94 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:35,840 delivered this man. By doing so. 95 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:40,520 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not 96 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:45,240 gather with me scatters. Therefore, I tell you, every sin 97 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,360 and blasphemy will be forgiven, people, but the blasphemy 98 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,280 against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 99 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,400 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be 100 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,880 forgiven. But whoever speaks against the 101 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,760 Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or 102 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,520 in the age that is to come. Either make the tree good and 103 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:06,600 its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the 104 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,240 tree is known by its fruit. You brood of Vipers, how can you 105 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,280 speak good when you're evil? For out of the abundance of the 106 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:16,840 heart the mouth speaks the good person. 107 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,040 Out of his good treasure he brings forth good, and the evil 108 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,600 person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 109 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,280 I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will give an 110 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:27,080 account for every careless word they. 111 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:28,760 Speak. What's he referencing? 112 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:30,840 The careless words that the Pharisees have just spoken. 113 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:35,920 That's the context. You are doomed because of all 114 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,560 that you've believed and all that you've held onto and all 115 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:39,880 that you've refused to repent of. 116 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,360 And it's come. It's given full birth. 117 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,400 That sin that started his seed when it could have been repented 118 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:47,520 of. You nurtured it, you cared for 119 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,840 it, and now it's become fully delivered. 120 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,880 People will give an account for every careless words, every 121 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,520 careless word they speak, for by your words you will be 122 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,920 justified. Praise God, say all the Saints. 123 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,880 And by your words, you will be condemned. 124 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:07,040 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, 125 00:06:07,280 --> 00:06:08,480 teacher, So what are they doing there? 126 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,680 They're interrupting. Now He is crashing like a wave 127 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:14,160 that just won't stop. You ever seen a tsunami? 128 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,160 It's not one wave, it's the ocean. 129 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,800 It just invades the land. It's not like we think a mega 130 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,480 wave that flattens the land and then washes away. 131 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:26,240 When an earthquake happens deep in the sea, it sends the ocean 132 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,320 inland. That the whole thing, it just 133 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,600 comes and it won't stop. Jesus is coming. 134 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:31,480 And it won't. Stop. 135 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:32,720 It's almost as if the scribes and Pharisees. 136 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:35,840 He's going teacher, teacher. They can't bear it. 137 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,160 He's speaking with such clarity, such authority. 138 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,480 We wish to see a sign from you. But he answered them. 139 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,520 An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign. 140 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:47,680 As if they say, oh, I bet you do. 141 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,200 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but 142 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,680 no sign will be given to it, except for the sign of the 143 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,840 prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days 144 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:01,440 and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of 145 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:02,600 Man. Will be 3. 146 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,680 Days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 147 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,880 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this 148 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,400 generation and condemn it. Why? 149 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,760 Because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, 150 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:15,960 something greater than Jonah is here. 151 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,400 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this 152 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,280 generation and condemn it. For she came from the ends of 153 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,560 the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold. 154 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,760 Something greater than Solomon is here. 155 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,880 God, bring us revelation and light today that we would be 156 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:34,960 encouraged, that we will be strengthened, that we will be 157 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,680 equipped, that we would be made skillful to see the light of 158 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,960 your Kingdom, to understand the manipulations in the lives of 159 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:43,680 the enemy. Protect your Saints. 160 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,160 God, make your sheep wise as serpents and as innocent as 161 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:49,640 doves. In Jesus name we thank you for 162 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:51,040 your word. Amen. 163 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,200 We wish to see a sign. He's been doing signs. 164 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:01,000 It's it's a ridiculous, it's a ridiculous and insincere 165 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,160 request. Teacher, teacher, what are they 166 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:05,800 doing? They want to interrupt and they 167 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:07,800 want to question his authority in front of everybody because 168 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,000 they're already going. Could this be the son of David 169 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:12,080 and Jesus going? My people are starting to 170 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,560 respond, and the Pharisees. Go no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 171 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:20,800 He's actually casting out demons by the power of demons, man. 172 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,600 Why is he so furious? Because folks are starting to 173 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,880 believe and the wolves have said no, no, no. 174 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:28,320 I mean they didn't just try and pick a neutral ground. 175 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:32,000 They said Jesus is of the devil. So they didn't just say, I don't 176 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,600 know if he's the Messiah yet. Give me some time and let me 177 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,480 think about it. That in itself he probably would 178 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:41,960 have rebuked and gone 1 + 1 = 2. I'm clearly the Messiah. 179 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:43,799 That's Matthew's purpose as he's writing. 180 00:08:44,159 --> 00:08:46,080 Remember who Matthew wrote this gospel to? 181 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:50,040 This Gospel was written to who? To the Jews. 182 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,240 Matthew writes this to the Jews. So the Holy Spirit is 183 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:55,960 deliberately inspiring Matthew to write the way that Matthew's 184 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,880 writing to record the things that Matthew's recording and to 185 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:04,080 the Jewish heroes, the Pharisees, the rabbi's, the, the 186 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:08,480 priestly class, Matthew's saying those people who we used to hold 187 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,240 high, here's what Jesus did with them. 188 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:11,760 Here's what Jesus thought about him. 189 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,080 We wish to see a sign. He's been bringing the Kingdom 190 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:17,720 right in front of their faces, and now he's speaking his 191 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,920 strongest rebuke, speaking with the most authority that he's 192 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:22,920 used. And they want to challenge his 193 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,480 verbal authority and they want to undermine his authority. 194 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,680 But it's a trap, it's a manipulation, it's a trick. 195 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,840 It's not sincere. It's disingenuous. 196 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:33,960 Disingenuous. Which is it? 197 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:41,080 Disingenuous. I dropped out of college. 198 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,200 People like you get what you get around here. 199 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:45,800 Thank you, Don. You know, You get what you get 200 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,840 around here. So it's insincere. 201 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:51,640 We'll stick with that word. We know what that one means. 202 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:53,720 It's not. It's not real. 203 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,400 They already refused to believe, and they're attempting to seem 204 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,640 reasonable, but they're not reasonable. 205 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:02,280 OK, OK, OK. Jesus. 206 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,640 Hey, hey, hey, guys. I know, I know. 207 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:06,600 Everything he just said sounded really impressive. 208 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,880 This is the wolf and the snakes and the Pharisees talking. 209 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:11,440 Look, I know he sounds like he's really condemning us. 210 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,560 Jesus, show us a sign. You speak with a lot of 211 00:10:15,560 --> 00:10:18,440 authority. Go ahead and, you know, do a 212 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,960 magic trick, won't you? Jesus, He just drove demons out 213 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:23,840 right here. Remember. 214 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,760 Remember moments ago this man? What kind of sign? 215 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,520 Are you looking for? He's already done great and 216 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,120 miraculous things. He's been doing it for a minimum 217 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,880 of months maybe. Are we years in at this point? 218 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:40,960 Do something to prove your authority, Church. 219 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,720 I want you to realize unreasonable people and hard 220 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,480 hearted people do this all the time and they'll do it to you as 221 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:50,280 well. With hearts of stone and angels 222 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:52,360 of voices. They will claim that they 223 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:56,040 represent a reasonable and a fair perspective. 224 00:10:57,520 --> 00:10:59,320 They're just going to be. They're just reasonable and 225 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,280 fair. All they need you to do is just 226 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:06,360 present the evidence and they, being a reasonable and fair 227 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:11,040 person, are happy to engage with you and the reasonable and fair 228 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,480 evidence that you will present. It's a lie. 229 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,960 It's a hard heart with a voice of an Angel and a smile. 230 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:24,040 They run our country, their friends, their Co workers, their 231 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:25,800 family. You've seen this behavior 232 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:29,120 before, but it's easy to be deceived by it and it's easy to 233 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:30,880 receive the pressure on you to go. 234 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,240 Man, if I could only give them. But that's a lie. 235 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,400 There is someone far greater than you and there is an 236 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,840 evidence far greater that you and I could ever provide. 237 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,800 It is the conviction of the Holy Spirit that has met every single 238 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,200 person who has ever lived. So they have rejected the 239 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,640 testimony of the Holy Spirit who glorifies Christ. 240 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,480 And then they have the audacity to say to you, Chris, if you 241 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:58,520 could just provide evidence for me, I got, I got nothing to give 242 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,160 to you except by the way, I have something incredible to give to 243 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:06,120 you, the gospel, the message of the gospel, because it is the 244 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:09,520 power of God unto salvation. For those who will. 245 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:14,160 Believe, but if you won't believe then there is nothing 246 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:16,480 coming. There is nothing that's going to 247 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,440 do it because you don't actually need a sign. 248 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,440 You're a liar, you're hard hearted, you might be self 249 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,760 deceived but either way the consequences are the same. 250 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:29,080 Unreasonable people still do this to you and I. 251 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,240 No, no, I'm totally reasonable. I have a fair perspective here, 252 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:35,920 but it's not true. They make it seem like if you 253 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,000 would only supply the appropriate evidence for the 254 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,720 authority of Jesus over their life, then they're going to 255 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:45,840 happily respond to it because they're so reasonable and 256 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,120 they're so prepared to do this thing. 257 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:50,240 But they're not. Because if they were, they would 258 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:53,240 have because the Holy Spirit is in the earth to convict people 259 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,880 of sin. So your responsibility is not 260 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,480 greater than the responsibility of the Holy Spirit. 261 00:12:59,560 --> 00:13:02,600 You're not more powerful than the Holy Spirit, who has already 262 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,520 testified to Jesus in their heart, and you shouldn't feel 263 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:07,360 pressure to provide them anything. 264 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,960 Other than the Word of God and the good news of the gospel in 265 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,600 particular, like we said, because it is the power of God 266 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,520 unto salvation that is the power. 267 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:20,640 I don't always feel that way. Well then that's you're in my 268 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:23,200 lack of faith, the reason you and I don't do. 269 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,560 That is because we actually believe the lie as well and go, 270 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:27,680 I mean the scriptures aren't enough. 271 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:29,600 They go, I don't accept your Bible. 272 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:34,040 You go, well then you've rejected the word of God, just 273 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,840 like the Pharisees did like. And you say, hey, I want to, I 274 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:38,400 want to read something to you from the Scripture. 275 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,320 And they go, no, no, no, no, no. Prove the authority of your 276 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,280 Jesus to me without the thing that proves the authority of 277 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:47,040 your Jesus to me. What? 278 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,160 Stand on the floor, but don't use the floor or your feet. 279 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,280 It's nonsensical. Why? 280 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:53,960 Because it's coming from a heart of stone. 281 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,640 It's a person who has already decided they will not believe. 282 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,120 They reject that. I don't want his authority. 283 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,720 So I'm going to continue to create hoops for you to jump 284 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:04,640 through. And there are some things that 285 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,720 we could possibly jump through. There are evidences that you 286 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,960 could bring up, but those aren't the things that people need to 287 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:14,720 shift inside their heart. The the issue is not a knowledge 288 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:16,880 issue. The issue is a spiritual issue. 289 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,920 So Jesus also taught this when he told the story about the rich 290 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:25,160 man who went to hell. Remember this, The rich man dies 291 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:27,920 and he goes to hell. Jesus said when the rich man is 292 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:32,720 in hell, somehow paradise and hell had visibility of one 293 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,720 another. You're saying why do they have? 294 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,040 What is paradise? Well, heaven had not yet been 295 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,840 opened the way Jesus had not yet made away, right? 296 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:42,920 So an Old Testament saying, where do they go when they die? 297 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:44,560 You can't go into the presence of God. 298 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,320 How could you possibly enter into the presence of God without 299 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:49,240 the blood of Jesus getting you there? 300 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:53,320 So here we are in paradise. It's a place of comfort, also 301 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,520 known as Abraham's bosom, as in close to Abraham's chest being 302 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,280 cared for. So the rich man calls out to 303 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:02,880 Abraham. Abraham, send someone back to 304 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,640 warn my brothers about this treacherous place. 305 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,000 And Abraham says they have Moses and the prophets. 306 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:11,800 They have the Scriptures to save them, protect them. 307 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:14,480 Don't worry, they've got everything they need. 308 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,000 And he was no, no, no, no, but Abraham. 309 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,640 But if someone would come back from the dead and warn them, 310 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:23,920 then they would repent. And Abraham looks over to the 311 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:26,600 rich man in hell and says, no, no, that's not true. 312 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,800 No, if they won't believe Moses and the prophets, neither will 313 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,200 they believe someone who has been raised from the dead. 314 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,680 Is that true? Yes, and we even see it play by 315 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,720 play after Jesus is literally raised from the dead. 316 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,160 Remember the Pharisees who he tells that he's going to be 317 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:46,440 raised from the dead by giving them the sign of Jonah here. 318 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:48,880 This is the first declaration of the of the death and 319 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:52,000 resurrection even before he gets really explicit later to his 320 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,440 disciples and goes, guys, I'm going to Jerusalem, I'm going to 321 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,400 die on the cross. I'm going to be raised from the 322 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,040 dead three days later. Even before he gets there, he's 323 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,760 doing it here. So these men know this is 324 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:06,920 coming. The Roman guard is knocked to 325 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,400 the ground by an Angel. Jesus's resurrection, these 326 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,840 dudes got to witness it. They go to the Pharisees, the 327 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,520 rabbis and the chief priests, and they say, hey, guys, here's 328 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,520 what happened last night. Jesus was resurrected from the 329 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:20,120 dead. And what do the chief priests 330 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:22,320 and the Pharisees and the rabbis say? 331 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:25,120 They go, OK, OK, OK, we can fix this. 332 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:29,240 We can fix this. Tell tell everybody that the 333 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:30,800 disciples came and stole his body. 334 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:34,440 What? Hey, guys, heads up, it's 335 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:35,960 official. He's the Messiah. 336 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,160 Let any doubt be removed. Why? 337 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:40,280 They didn't need more visual evidence. 338 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:43,280 Your loved ones and family and friends, they don't need more 339 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:46,720 visual evidence. The gospel is powerful. 340 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,480 The gospel in your mouth is powerful. 341 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:53,520 The gospel itself brings faith to believe the gospel. 342 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,080 So the gospel is driving the car, but riding shotgun is 343 00:16:57,080 --> 00:16:59,080 faith. They always go everywhere 344 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:01,440 together. So you could preach to an arena 345 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,599 of atheists and you can simply share your testimony and say 346 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,560 here's who I was and Jesus saved me. 347 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:11,200 God loves people. He has rescued us all from sin. 348 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:14,560 If you will bend the knee to Jesus and confess that he is 349 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:18,160 Lord and trust and believe on his sacrifice, you shall be 350 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,319 saved. In that the foolishness of 351 00:17:21,319 --> 00:17:24,480 preaching, the Bible calls it in that the Lord is blessed and the 352 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:28,920 Lord is pleased to confound the wise, all the wise. 353 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,720 He means wise. He says that mockingly to his 354 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,160 enemies. God confounds the wise with the 355 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:38,040 foolishness of preaching. And it's through that humility 356 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:39,880 that we have to come like children and go. 357 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:41,360 I accept it. Why? 358 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:43,240 Because children accept what we tell them. 359 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:45,440 And Jesus says, I love that about kids. 360 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,000 I love that, that they'll believe what you tell them. 361 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:51,520 Now that can be dangerous for children because what if an evil 362 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:52,880 person speaks to children, right. 363 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,800 So that can be difficult. That's why children need loving 364 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,000 people in their lives. But Jesus says that trait is 365 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:00,040 good. And that's what I want to see. 366 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:01,480 I want Saints. I want people to go. 367 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:04,080 God said it. That settles it. 368 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,920 I believe it. Well, don't you have questions? 369 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:09,680 Oh, millions of them, lots of them. 370 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:14,680 But but I believe, and in spite of my, in spite of my unbelief, 371 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:16,560 I still. Believe. 372 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:19,760 No. They've got Moses and the 373 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,040 prophets. No, no, but if somebody came 374 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:23,280 back from the dead, they will believe. 375 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:27,360 Nope, no they wouldn't. And and it's happened and they 376 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:30,320 still don't. How is it possible? 377 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:36,720 Because believing in Jesus is not an evidence issue, it is a 378 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:40,800 heart issue. The Pharisees will later be told 379 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:42,720 by the Roman guards. Like we said, he was raised from 380 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,440 the dead and the Pharisees pay. Money, they cover it up. 381 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,840 So this, this argument that these men are bringing to Jesus 382 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:54,400 to try and disrupt his authority, it's an empty 383 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,320 argument. It's a really common pattern. 384 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:00,120 It's a demonic pattern that you'll still notice if you pay 385 00:19:00,120 --> 00:19:02,800 attention in conversations, you'll notice it in 386 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:04,680 conversations that you have and that others have. 387 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,040 If a Christian is building steam, if a Christian is 388 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:12,840 building up and the anointing is on somebody, the the satanic 389 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,480 impulse in a non believer is to short circuit that thing with a 390 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:18,680 nonsensical claim and a nonsensical argument. 391 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:20,480 Why? Because conviction is building 392 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:22,760 upon them. The Lord is building conviction 393 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:24,880 in that moment. So if you've ever had felt like 394 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,160 you had a full head of steam and it felt like not, not with 395 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,640 anger, but just with the anointing coming upon you in the 396 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:31,480 spirit of the Lord speaking through you and you're going and 397 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:36,240 the Lord this and his goodness that and sin this and salvation 398 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:37,640 that and the blood of Jesus this. 399 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,080 And it feels like this thing's building and then they come in 400 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,480 at a left field with well. What about and blah blah blah. 401 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:45,840 And they give you this distorted, convoluted argument 402 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:48,240 and you're tempted to bite on it. 403 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:52,400 Don't. Don't refuse to bite on it. 404 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,560 And and then when you refuse to bite on it, here's the next 405 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:56,680 problem. They're going to go. 406 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,240 Aha, you won't, because you can't. 407 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,200 And the truth is, no, you won't because you shouldn't, because 408 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,920 it won't serve them and you actually love them and you're 409 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:08,080 actually going to stay on target because you love this person 410 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,760 instead of taking them up. We're leaving the Christian 411 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,520 framework and they're saying, hey, don't, don't, don't speak 412 00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:15,720 to me. Don't preach to me upon the 413 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,680 foundation of the Scriptures. Come over here, stand out over 414 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,560 oblivion with me and now make a foundational point. 415 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:24,520 You can't. They're the ones standing over 416 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:26,000 oblivion. I don't want to. 417 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,080 I want to stay here. This is my foundation. 418 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:30,600 They're like, well, I don't believe that foundation. 419 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,800 I didn't say you did. I'm just telling you. 420 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:35,480 Still what's true, though. Well, we'll come over here under 421 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,640 this convoluted, twisted, demented, perverted battlefield, 422 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:40,240 and that's fine. No, I'm good. 423 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,680 I'm actually stay right here. On the truth, well, I don't 424 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:45,320 think that's the. Truth, I know, but you should 425 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,240 and I'm and I'm praying that you will and I'd love to continue to 426 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,000 discuss with you and encourage you and open the scriptures with 427 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,520 you and well, what about and how about and why not? 428 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:59,480 I will explain this. Tell me about the dinosaurs. 429 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,800 What, how did we go from the blood of Jesus to dinosaurs? 430 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:05,520 Give me, let's rewind a little bit here. 431 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:08,200 Let's let's focus on what's actually going on and what 432 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:10,000 actually is going to serve a person's heart. 433 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,280 What do they need? This is a heart issue. 434 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,720 This is not an evidence issue. This is not a mental issue. 435 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,360 Show us a sign. It's an empty claim. 436 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,080 Right now. There's, there's more news and 437 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,560 discussion around the the Shroud of Turin. 438 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:27,640 Is that how it's pronounced Torin? 439 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,400 I haven't even looked into it, I've just seen that there's a 440 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:32,880 bunch buzzing about it, so I've known about it for years. 441 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:35,600 For those of you who know nothing about it, the the 442 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,240 possibility, the claim is that this is the cloth that was 443 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:41,400 wrapped around Jesus's face when he was buried. 444 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:44,040 Pretty cool, right? Pretty cool. 445 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,960 Is it the actual cloth that was wrapped around his face when he 446 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,600 was buried? Is it not the actual cloth that 447 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:53,080 was wrapped around Jesus's face when he was buried? 448 00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:56,320 If it really is the fabric that was on my Lord's face, then 449 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:58,040 that's amazing and that's special to me. 450 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:03,080 But I will never, ever refer to it when telling somebody the 451 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:07,720 gospel, and I will never lean on it as evidence for someone to 452 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:11,160 worship and follow King Jesus. It will never become a part of 453 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:15,320 the arsenal. We should give people the most 454 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,080 powerful thing that we can, which is the Holy Spirit 455 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,480 inspired word of God. After that, we should pray for 456 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,360 their eyes to be opened so that they would see and receive their 457 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:28,360 king. Man, I love the history stuff or 458 00:22:28,360 --> 00:22:29,320 I love this. I love that. 459 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:33,000 Good brother, good sister, study it, enjoy it, be refreshed and 460 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:37,120 blessed and encouraged by it. I mean like that's why we go to 461 00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:38,920 the Holy Land, right? And that why we make trips to 462 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,960 Jerusalem. Do we get actually closer to the 463 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:46,040 Lord because we've geographically go where he was? 464 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:47,840 No. But we can get closer to the 465 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:52,280 Lord in any place. So I, I totally want to take my 466 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,960 family to Israel. I mean, for years I wanted to 467 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,120 get there in time to baptize my boys in the Jordan River. 468 00:22:57,120 --> 00:22:58,480 They've all been baptized at this point. 469 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,400 So too late. You know, the East River and the 470 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,800 Pianka tank. Yeah. 471 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,520 There's the two. Oh, Rappahannock. 472 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:08,240 Yeah. Not the East River, the 473 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:11,120 Rappahannock, Sturgeon Creek and and the East River. 474 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:13,560 Yeah. So we didn't, we didn't hit the 475 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:17,600 Jordan, but I'd love to go. So in enjoy history, Like I 476 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,600 would love to go stand on one of the hills was like, we know he 477 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:24,160 had to have been in this area. Like within this 30 acres. 478 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:26,520 Jesus's feet were like, I think that's awesome. 479 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,560 I think it's super cool. I mean, any, anything that they 480 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,480 can tell me and guarantee to me, like that's going to be special 481 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:33,680 to me. That's going to be meaningful to 482 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:35,600 me. And I'm not sorry for it, but 483 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,600 when I'm sharing the gospel with somebody, I never, ever, ever 484 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:42,280 refer to anything other than the Scripture itself, other than the 485 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:45,120 testimony of Scripture, because that's the most powerful thing. 486 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:46,840 Now if they're not. A hard hearted. 487 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,680 Person and they're curious and and truly open hearted and 488 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:52,320 they're a person of peace. By all means, everything's fair 489 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:53,400 game. Yeah, we can talk about the 490 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:55,400 shroud. We can talk about this, but a 491 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:57,400 hard hearted person, man, wouldn't it? 492 00:23:57,400 --> 00:23:59,800 What can penetrate a heart of stone but the word of God? 493 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:05,400 Not a fabric, not the shroud, not the Holy Land, not anything. 494 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:07,520 Only the word of God can do that. 495 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:13,440 So let's keep going here in verse 39 after they said show us 496 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,560 a sign, verse 39. But he answered them. 497 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,160 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign. 498 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,600 More bombs. He's just dropping absolute 499 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:25,800 bombs. He does not step into their 500 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:27,960 trap. He is not under their control, 501 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:32,000 not even 1%. He quadruples down on his rebuke 502 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,880 and his authority by saying evil and adulterous. 503 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,080 Not only will I not follow your direction or answer your 504 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,480 insincere request, but I will continue as I was before your 505 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:46,440 interruption. You can learn and you should 506 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,240 learn from Jesus how to handle disingenuous arguments. 507 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:54,000 Wise as a serpent, innocent as a dove. 508 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,640 He goes on to say you'll be given no sign. 509 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:01,480 Except for the sign of the prophet Jonah, which is an 510 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:04,040 interesting thing to say because he's given so many signs 511 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:05,960 already. But he's saying in this moment, 512 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,480 no, no, you know what sign you're going to get, You'll get 513 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,360 the sign of the prophet Jonah. And like we said, this is his 514 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:14,040 first telling of his death and resurrection. 515 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,000 I mean, how many people even picked up on it? 516 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:20,840 What it what? For justice Jonah was three days 517 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:22,680 and three nights in the belly of a great fish. 518 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:26,320 So will the Son of Man be 3 days and three nights in the heart of 519 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:30,960 the earth. What there it is now you and I 520 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,040 it's always easy to look back on right It's always easy to look 521 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:35,440 back. You and I have 2020 visions. 522 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:37,680 Oh this meant that this meant that this is one of the reasons 523 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,000 why your pastor and as a church our official statement on the 524 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,200 end times is Jesus is coming back. 525 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,440 That's our official statement but within the body of Christ 526 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,600 there's much there's much discussion and much conviction 527 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:51,560 in in many areas on. I think it's going to happen 528 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:52,720 like this. I think it's going to happen 529 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:53,800 like that. I think it's going to happen 530 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:55,920 like this. The thing your pastor will # the 531 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:57,880 pulpit on and say Jesus is coming back. 532 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,320 That's that's for sure. But it's also a future event. 533 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:03,360 And I think it's easy for us to look at the future event and go, 534 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,440 this verse obviously means that, and this verse obviously means 535 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,920 that, and this has to mean that. But we've kind of seen that 536 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:12,640 happen before, haven't we? So I know on that, I know 2020 537 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:15,640 looking back, we're all going to have crystal clarity go oh, oh, 538 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:21,200 oh, oh, oh. So we got theories, we got 539 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:22,720 perspectives. Most importantly, we have the 540 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:24,640 Word of God. And the Word of God is true and 541 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:28,200 yet wise interpretation. Lots of possibilities can happen 542 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:30,960 there. But what is Jesus talking about? 543 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,600 You and I have the privilege and the joy of knowing He's talking 544 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:35,600 about his death and his resurrection. 545 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,480 And notice once again, we've said this before, The whole 546 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:43,360 Bible is about Jesus. This is one of many reasons why 547 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:47,040 the Bible is so awesome. This is one of many reasons why 548 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:49,760 the Old Testament is also awesome. 549 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:52,160 You don't need to think, oh, the Old Testament is kind of lame. 550 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,840 New Testament is pretty cool. No, no, the whole Bible is 551 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:56,640 awesome. If you think the Bible is lame, 552 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:58,480 you're lame. The Bible is not boring, you're 553 00:26:58,480 --> 00:26:59,880 boring. God's not boring. 554 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,680 You're boring because the whole Bible is about Jesus. 555 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:06,840 So everything shows us that, yes, this thing really happened. 556 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:08,360 Kids, you listen, you paying attention? 557 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:11,760 Yes, this thing really happened. This guy Jonah, he really was 558 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,320 swallowed by a big fish. The Lord was saying, no, you 559 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:17,160 will obey me and you are going to go to the city and preach to 560 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:18,160 the people I want you to preach to. 561 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:19,600 And Jonah is like, but I hate them. 562 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,320 I know if I preach to them, they're going to repent and 563 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:24,720 you're going to save them all. And the Lord goes, Yep, because 564 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:26,960 I love them. I love those wicked people and I 565 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,360 want to save them from their sins and save them from the 566 00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:31,280 wrath to come. So it really happened. 567 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,440 But the Bible also shows us that anyone that you can look at in 568 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:38,720 Scripture, he was, he was real or she was real, but Jesus is 569 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:42,280 the greater version. So look what this person did. 570 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:44,400 But look how Jesus did it differently. 571 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:46,720 And Jesus said so I'm going to do the same thing Jonah did. 572 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:48,040 He's going to be swallowed by a fish. 573 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:49,960 He goes, no, but I'll be swallowed by the earth. 574 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:52,560 So 3 days and three nights I will. 575 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,240 I'll go down and it'll look like I'm down and out, but when I 576 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,480 come out, I'm actually bringing resurrection to all who believe 577 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:03,360 in me and believe in my message. Jesus is the greater Jonah. 578 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:08,160 Jonah was a real man, but in the infinite wisdom and sovereignty 579 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:14,320 of God, Jonah pointed the world to Jesus and keep going in verse 580 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,640 41. The men of Nineveh will rise up 581 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:21,360 at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for 582 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:23,120 they repented at the preaching of Jonah. 583 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,560 And behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 584 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:29,640 So Jesus is doubling down, quadrupling down on His 585 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:31,760 authority. Hey, I gave you a rebuke and put 586 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,760 you in your place. Then you tried to undermine me a 587 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:38,120 second time in front of everybody and said show us a 588 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:39,480 sign. If you're such a hotshot and 589 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:42,880 he's going, let me tell you who's going to condemn you, 590 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,440 it'll be the Ninevites. He's, he's told them before you 591 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,040 like Moses, I'll give you Moses on the Day of judgment. 592 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:51,000 You're not going to like Moses on the day of judgment. 593 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,320 And he's saying, I'll give you the sign of Jonah, but I'm going 594 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:58,240 to have the Ninevites personally rise up and judge you on the day 595 00:28:58,240 --> 00:28:59,080 of judgment. Why? 596 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,120 Because they humbled themselves truly at the worst sermon ever 597 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:05,240 preached. Jonah just marches through the 598 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:09,440 city. 40 days and Nineveh will be destroyed. 40 days and 599 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:12,080 Nineveh will be destroyed. They go, God forgive us of our 600 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:16,440 sins. They didn't say show us a sign. 601 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,360 Jonah probably himself looked like a sign after living in a 602 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:23,240 fish for a few days. And that's, you know, we do have 603 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:25,200 reason to believe that that was probably part of it. 604 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:27,880 There's some deeper. Things going on there, but most 605 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:30,120 importantly, they repented at the word of the Lord. 606 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:31,920 That was the point that Jesus was making here. 607 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:39,920 So more judgment he continues. The men of Nineveh will rise up 608 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:41,360 and condemn this generation. Why? 609 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:45,280 Because they repented when they had a ragged fish smelling man 610 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:46,760 who preached the worst sermon ever. 611 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:50,600 But this generation that Jesus was speaking to has the word of 612 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:54,840 God made flesh, doing miracles, bringing the Kingdom, preaching 613 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:58,480 the fullness of the Kingdom and they still don't receive him or 614 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:01,320 as Jesus put it, someone greater than Jonah is here. 615 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,520 Jonah, he was a great. Prophet of the Lord, yeah. 616 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:11,880 The greater Jonah is here now he continues in verse 42. 617 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:15,400 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this 618 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,240 generation and condemn it. Why? 619 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:21,040 For she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of 620 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,440 Solomon. And behold, something greater 621 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:27,320 than Solomon is here. Not only should we listen to 622 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:30,080 Jesus like Nineveh listened to Jonah. 623 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,840 Jonah who came to them, right? They just had to stand there and 624 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:36,560 Jonah came to them. We should be so eager to listen 625 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,960 to Jesus that we'll be willing to travel far to get to him, 626 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,200 like the queen of the South, the queen of Sheba, an African queen 627 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:46,640 who traveled up a long, great distance to see Solomon and his 628 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,040 Kingdom. And when she finally saw his 629 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,400 Kingdom, she said, I've heard great and mighty and wonderful 630 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:54,600 things about your Kingdom and the greatness of it all. 631 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,440 And she said, and that half of it was not even told to me, 632 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,520 she's saying it was so worth the trip. 633 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,840 It was worth all the expense. And then she blessed Solomon and 634 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:08,760 gave him another abundance of wealth and gifts to say there 635 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:11,440 there's no Kingdom like yours in all the earth. 636 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:15,840 And Jesus says you remember him. Someone greater than Solomon is 637 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:20,400 here who can speak this way. This is why, again, Jesus is not 638 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,800 just a good guy. He's not just a good moral 639 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,600 teacher. He's not equal to all the other 640 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:27,160 foolish philosophies of the earth. 641 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:29,240 Well, there's many religious leaders. 642 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,520 There's Buddha, and there's Confucius, and there's this and 643 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:33,360 there's that. Yes, all these other men died 644 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,120 and they stayed dead, and they didn't make the claims that he 645 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:40,360 made even when they were alive. They asked Confucius about death 646 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:42,560 and the afterlife, and he goes, what do I know about the 647 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:44,040 afterlife? I'm just trying to figure out 648 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,240 life, and Jesus said I am the way I am, the truth. 649 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:52,360 I am the life I am the resurrection before Abraham was. 650 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:56,200 I am. I'm greater than everybody and 651 00:31:56,200 --> 00:31:58,320 everything. So you have to deal with that 652 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:01,360 man who speaks that way, right? If I tell you I'm a grilled 653 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:04,440 cheese sandwich, you have to make some decisions about that 654 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:06,480 man. He really is a grilled cheese 655 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,520 sandwich. OK, that's one option. 656 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:11,960 Or he's a liar. He knows he's not a grilled 657 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,800 cheese sandwich. He he, he knows. 658 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:19,000 Better or bless his heart. That's the third option, right? 659 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:21,120 He thinks he's a grilled cheese sandwich. 660 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,960 What other option is there? I'm a grilled cheese sandwich. 661 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:28,360 I'm a liar pretending to be a grilled cheese sandwich. 662 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:31,320 Or I'm just crazy and I think I'm a grilled cheese sandwich. 663 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:35,040 When Jesus, the King of glory, says that he's the King of 664 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,080 glory, you don't get to go. I think he's a decent guy. 665 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:41,760 Be clear. Is he God and King? 666 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:43,440 I wouldn't go that far. All right. 667 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:46,200 You're down to two options. Is he lying? 668 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,360 No, I wouldn't call him a liar. All right. 669 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:53,240 Bless his heart, right? That's all you got left. 670 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:55,680 No, I think it's something else. You're deceived. 671 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:58,360 There is nothing else. You're being illogical, foolish. 672 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:00,680 And the root of it all is actually probably a hard heart. 673 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:02,760 I ain't mad at you. I'm mad for you because I know 674 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:05,160 somebody's working against you. Which is why I'm going to pray 675 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:08,560 that your eyes will be opened. Because when you can reject the 676 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:11,520 clear, the clear logic of Jesus, something is distorted and 677 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:14,360 broken inside of you. Jesus restores logic. 678 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:16,600 Did you know the word of God is not illogical? 679 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:19,120 We don't. We don't have to dismiss logic. 680 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,680 God is the creator of logic. We welcome it. 681 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:24,000 Jesus walks us through it here, verse by verse. 682 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,560 It's the most logical thing in the world to love and follow 683 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:34,880 King Jesus. Jesus is the greater. 684 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:39,320 Jonah because he didn't just leave his land like Jonah did. 685 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,000 He left heaven. Jonah did it reluctantly. 686 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:45,080 Jesus did it willingly. Jonah hated his enemies and he 687 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:47,720 wanted them destroyed. Jesus loved his enemies and he 688 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:50,120 wanted them saved. This is why Jesus is the greater 689 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:52,040 Jonah. Solomon knew a lot about the 690 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:54,360 created universe. Incredibly wise. 691 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:58,600 Jesus created the universe. Solomon asked for the wisdom of 692 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:01,240 God. Jesus is the wisdom of God. 693 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:05,880 Solomon's reign had an end. And Hallelujah, Jesus's reign 694 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:09,080 will never, ever end. His throne is established 695 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:10,920 forever. Jesus could do this all day, by 696 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:12,840 the way. And eventually he does. 697 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,920 On the road to Emmaus after the resurrection, he appears to the 698 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:18,159 disciples and he's walking with them, and they don't recognize 699 00:34:18,159 --> 00:34:19,199 him. So if there's some miracle, 700 00:34:19,199 --> 00:34:20,840 he's, he's hidden himself from them. 701 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,080 And they're all sad. And he walks up beside him as 702 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:25,840 just another traveler. Hey, guys, what's wrong? 703 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:28,719 We're sad. We're followers of Jesus. 704 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:31,199 What? What's going on, dude? 705 00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:33,560 Have you lived under a rock? Do you not know what's been 706 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:37,520 happening in Israel? We love and follow Jesus and we 707 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,199 thought he was the one, but now he died. 708 00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:44,040 And but some of our women said he's been raised from the dead 709 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:47,600 and we're just all torn up and conflicted and it's just all 710 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,400 really upsetting. And he proceeds to walk them 711 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:54,080 through the scriptures, it says through Moses and the prophets, 712 00:34:54,199 --> 00:34:56,800 and he shows them why the Messiah had to suffer these 713 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:58,800 things. And he showed how it all points 714 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:00,600 to him. And then finally their eyes are 715 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:04,280 open and he goes, I'm out and he vanishes. 716 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:08,480 And now they Sprint all the way back to Jerusalem and they go, 717 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:10,800 what was wrong with us? Where our hearts not burning 718 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,480 within us when he was opening the Scriptures for us? 719 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,520 Of course, now they've got the clarity right looking back. 720 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,720 Oh, well, of course Isaiah 53 is about Jesus. 721 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:21,320 Oh, of course this is about Jesus. 722 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:22,920 So of course, that's of course. Of course. 723 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,720 Well, yeah, yeah. After Jesus opens your eyes, you 724 00:35:26,720 --> 00:35:30,640 can see everything clearly. And before he does, you can see 725 00:35:30,640 --> 00:35:34,320 nothing clearly. So Jesus could do this all day. 726 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:39,560 Moses delivered his people from the slavery of Egypt and from 727 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,120 Pharaoh. Jesus delivers his people from 728 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,240 the slavery of sin and from Satan. 729 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:48,240 Abraham was the first patriarch of the faith, but Jesus was 730 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:52,640 before Abraham ever was. Isaac carried the wood for his 731 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:55,320 own sacrifice on his back up the hill. 732 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:59,640 But Jesus did all of that and more because he was completely 733 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,760 pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our 734 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:05,120 iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement 735 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:08,040 that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 736 00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:13,120 So these guys should recognize Jesus, but they refused to do so 737 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:16,280 when they still had the ability. And now for them, it's too late. 738 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:19,160 He says the Queen of the South, the Queen of Sheba, she will 739 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,280 rise up to judge this generation. 740 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:25,320 It's going to be a shocking day for Moses and for the Ninevites 741 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:28,560 and for the Queen of Sheba, people who hopefully are in the 742 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:32,400 eternal Kingdom now secured by faith, when the time of judgment 743 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:33,440 comes. And they're going to. 744 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:40,160 We had so little we had, we had crumbs to work with, and we 745 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,440 received them as a feast. And you had the full table set 746 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,720 before you, and you rejected it and called it evil. 747 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,120 This is such a dangerous thing that happens. 748 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:53,240 It can happen to a person and it can happen to a society. 749 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:55,680 It's a dangerous and wicked place to be. 750 00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:59,840 When you call good evil and evil good, it's a really, really 751 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:03,920 devastating place to arrive at. I believe this is the place that 752 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:07,760 we live at in our generation. I don't think it's a hard case 753 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:16,080 to make Psalm verse 43, Jesus continues. 754 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:20,160 So he says, behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 755 00:37:20,720 --> 00:37:24,240 And now, still in context, he's still talking about what he's 756 00:37:24,240 --> 00:37:26,960 talking about when an unclean spirit. 757 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:29,800 So he's just cast a demon out. He's just dropped these bombs on 758 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:32,800 these guys and now he's talking about demons and an unclean 759 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:34,960 spirit. When an unclean spirit has gone 760 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:39,240 out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking 761 00:37:39,240 --> 00:37:42,680 rest, but finds none. So he's saying this is what this 762 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:46,080 demons doing that I just cast out the things wandering. 763 00:37:46,240 --> 00:37:49,240 It wants to find a person who will host it. 764 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:53,240 Then it says. I will return from the house 765 00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:57,640 from which I came, and when it comes, it finds the house empty, 766 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:04,480 swept, and put in order. Then it brings with it seven 767 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:08,840 other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell 768 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:11,080 there. And the last state of that 769 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:15,520 person is worse than the first. What's his point here? 770 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:19,760 Now He makes it so also will it be with this evil generation? 771 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:25,760 He's finished blasting these guys all this. 772 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:27,440 Like we said, it's probably been in one sitting. 773 00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:31,000 He's cast the demon out of the man, and now Jesus is showing 774 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:35,080 us, and he's making a point about rebuking this generation. 775 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,520 What's true of an individual when it comes to demon 776 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:41,400 possession is also true of a larger group, A society, or as 777 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:44,360 he puts it, a civilization or a generation. 778 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:47,000 This generation, does that mean it's true for every single last 779 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,720 person? No, but he means generally this 780 00:38:49,720 --> 00:38:53,920 generation is behaving this way. So thank God there's always a 781 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:56,480 remnant. There's always one who is kept 782 00:38:56,640 --> 00:39:00,040 pure and kept separate. Just like with Noah, the whole 783 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:03,400 earth hates God. And then there's this righteous 784 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:04,280 man. You're like, I thought it was 785 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,400 everybody. Well, it was generally, it's 786 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:09,800 everybody. And yet you can still choose to 787 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,960 love and follow the Lord. What is the point here? 788 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,520 The point is, it's not enough to be emptied of evil. 789 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:20,720 It's not enough to play defense against Satan. 790 00:39:20,720 --> 00:39:24,520 It's not enough to be neutral. You must be filled with the 791 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:27,200 fullness of God or you will be overcome by evil. 792 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:31,040 So a demon possessed person would drive out the demon and 793 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:35,840 they go, what relief? Yes, but the house is left empty 794 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:37,720 and we shouldn't leave the house empty. 795 00:39:37,720 --> 00:39:41,640 The house needs to be full. We don't just need morality. 796 00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:43,920 Isn't morality good? Absolutely. 797 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:46,280 We'll take morality over immorality every day of the 798 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:49,120 week. It is progress, it is the right 799 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:51,920 direction, and yet it is not enough. 800 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:57,040 Christendom has failed in the West because Christendom has 801 00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:00,720 deferred to allowing and hoping for a morality. 802 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:05,200 If we could just get to some basic morality then we would be 803 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:07,680 satisfied. But Jesus was never satisfied 804 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:09,680 with the world being a. Little bit more moral. 805 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:13,320 Jesus wanted us to teach the whole earth to obey everything 806 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:16,520 that he has commanded because Jesus is King. 807 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:18,640 So let me point something out to you. 808 00:40:19,400 --> 00:40:21,040 And you say, Pastor, you getting political? 809 00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:24,720 Yes, I'm always political. Jesus is political and I'm not 810 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:26,920 sorry for it. But bear with me for a moment. 811 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:31,040 The Republican Party and the Democratic Party, take a quick 812 00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:34,320 glance. The the Democratic Party is, is 813 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:36,840 just so far extreme at this point. 814 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:39,360 But the Republican Party has also slid. 815 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:43,000 So both have slid together. And now, you know, for 816 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:46,680 Republicans or for people who are just trying to slow the 817 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:49,720 onslaught that's coming against this nation, who are just hoping 818 00:40:49,720 --> 00:40:52,040 to buy time, look at who we got to work with. 819 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:54,400 Look at what we've got to work with. 820 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:58,240 I saw just yesterday, just last night, I was so grieved. 821 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:02,040 JD Vance verbally and clearly articulated an answer to a 822 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:04,960 question about abortion where he he made exceptions for it. 823 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:09,320 And I'm just going like the the Republicans that were that 824 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:10,840 we're. Going I hope they win. 825 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,400 Why? Because we want righteousness to 826 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:17,040 be restored and we want a nation to be preserved, and we want the 827 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:19,320 church to have time to make disciples. 828 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:22,800 We're we're not. We're not going to misplace our 829 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:26,520 focus, but the the the pair that we're trying to put in office 830 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:29,320 would have been like Democrats in the 90s. 831 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:32,120 Right. Yeah, I mean, let's be honest 832 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:32,600 about that. Well. 833 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:34,640 Pastor, I'm still going. To we're all going to do what 834 00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:36,320 we're going to do, and we're going to do what we believe is 835 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:37,960 right. We're going to seek the good of 836 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:40,960 the Babylon that we live in. We're going to seek 837 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:44,440 righteousness. And and of course, we have to 838 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:47,960 pick the lesser of two evils. So by all means, I encourage you 839 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:51,000 to do so. And yet let's be honest about 840 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:56,000 how foul all of it is, how corrupt and wicked all of it is. 841 00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:58,320 You don't defend it. You don't need to defend 842 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:00,560 anyone's character because I think all of their character is 843 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:04,160 indefensible. So what we should do is we can 844 00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:08,880 tend continue to contend for the Kingdom being fulfilled instead 845 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,560 of we need morality, but it won't be enough. 846 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:14,160 It wasn't enough. So I don't blame our 847 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:16,240 politicians. I blame the pulpit. 848 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:18,760 I blame the church. I blame the household. 849 00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:22,920 I blame Christians because we thought that we could play this 850 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:25,440 neutral game. We thought, hey, let's, let's 851 00:42:25,440 --> 00:42:28,400 just let's just have a little bit of of peace here. 852 00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:30,320 Let's have a little bit of good morals over here. 853 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:33,400 Let's just sprinkle good morals on top of these things and just 854 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:34,920 go on. That's an empty house is swept 855 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:36,960 clean. And when when these demons come 856 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:39,280 back around, things are worse than they ever were before. 857 00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:41,640 Isn't that an easy case to make too? 858 00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:45,880 I don't know. I mean, I wonder, I wasn't here. 859 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:48,040 I don't know what I mean. I know some things about the 860 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:52,800 Native Americans, but like, is this country worse or better 861 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:56,280 than it was before it was converted, what, 400 and some 862 00:42:56,280 --> 00:43:00,520 years ago? I, I, I wonder if it's not 863 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:03,240 already worse at this point. What are you getting at, pastor? 864 00:43:03,240 --> 00:43:04,680 We hopeless. Of course we're not hopeless. 865 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:07,640 We're the church. We are the hope of the, of the 866 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:10,680 world. We bring the gospel, but I want 867 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:12,600 you to be real. I want you to be honest. 868 00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:14,960 I want you to have a humble understanding of the generation 869 00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:17,280 you live in. Don't look at these people and 870 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:19,520 go, oh, that was a crazy generation. 871 00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:21,920 Saints, we were born in a crazy generation. 872 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:24,760 And it was on purpose that the Lord put you here. 873 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:28,320 He put you where you live for such a time as this. 874 00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:32,680 What a glorious thing. So is it grieving? 875 00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:37,920 Yes, it it righteous lot. His soul is vexed by Sodom and 876 00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:40,920 by Gomorrah. And also we should still seek 877 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:43,520 righteousness, but we need to know what that looks like. 878 00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:46,680 So the point you're marching orders with that understanding 879 00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:49,240 or not to go. I just hope that people get more 880 00:43:49,240 --> 00:43:52,400 moral because that's what the church was fighting for for the 881 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:53,840 longest time. If we could just be a little 882 00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:55,680 more moral. No, no, no, no. 883 00:43:56,080 --> 00:44:00,120 No, you need more than morality. You need the blood of Jesus. 884 00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:03,040 America, we don't just need morality. 885 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:07,640 I don't want just flat laws that seem to be slightly better than 886 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:10,880 the other laws we had before. We want the Kingdom to come and 887 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:12,960 his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. 888 00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:16,680 We don't want to get distracted with, well, the Constitution 889 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:20,080 this or the the Declaration of Independence that our founding 890 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:22,280 documents have strengths and they have weaknesses. 891 00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:25,760 The Word of God has none, and the Word of God applies to all 892 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:28,640 people in all places at all times. 893 00:44:29,120 --> 00:44:32,720 So we want to continually bring the fullness of the Kingdom as 894 00:44:32,720 --> 00:44:35,960 much as we possibly can, because we love people and because we 895 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:39,280 don't want them taken over by 7 spirits that were worse than the 896 00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:41,840 first. So what do we do, Pastor? 897 00:44:42,520 --> 00:44:44,920 Make disciples. Love the Lord with your God, 898 00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:46,360 with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. 899 00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:49,040 Nothing's changed. The mission is simple, The 900 00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:51,760 mission is clear. Obey Jesus. 901 00:44:51,920 --> 00:44:55,520 But it is not enough to be emptied of evil. 902 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,400 It is not enough to find a neutral ground because there is 903 00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:00,440 no such thing. The enemy will always circle 904 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:03,040 back around and make things worse than they used to be. 905 00:45:03,720 --> 00:45:06,080 You must be filled with the fullness of God. 906 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:08,480 A person must be filled with the fullness of God. 907 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:11,040 A nation must be filled with the fullness of God. 908 00:45:11,040 --> 00:45:13,520 The whole earth must be filled with the fullness of God. 909 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:17,800 Moral change alone, without the power of God, will not protect 910 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:22,120 from the darkness of Satan. And that back to the context 911 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:25,160 here is what has happened to those unforgivable Pharisees at 912 00:45:25,160 --> 00:45:27,440 this point. He's going this generation. 913 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:31,120 What a wicked and dark thing it is and how what's the 914 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:34,560 culmination of theirs? They crucify the Lord of glory, 915 00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:39,920 the culmination that is their the the masterpiece. 916 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:44,000 Unfortunately for them, that is the greatest evidence of their 917 00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:47,280 apostasy, of their rebellion against God as they crucify the 918 00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:50,200 Lord of glory. And yet that's the danger that 919 00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:51,920 we run as well. We've talked about that a lot 920 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:55,480 lately, Trampling under foot the Son of God. 921 00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:59,400 Trampling under foot the Son of God, a nation who the only 922 00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:02,800 reason it experiences any blessing that it experiences is 923 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:05,800 because of the Christianity that's brought to it. 924 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:08,720 Christianity blesses everything it touches in the world. 925 00:46:09,360 --> 00:46:12,400 Look at history, look at human suffering. 926 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:15,520 When Christianity comes into a country, when Christianity comes 927 00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:17,800 into a region, everything gets better. 928 00:46:17,800 --> 00:46:21,200 And yet morality is not enough. The hearts of man are what God 929 00:46:21,200 --> 00:46:24,480 was always after, the hearts of mankind. 930 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:26,640 Wouldn't it be better if we had this law? 931 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:30,200 Yes, but the hearts of mankind are what's? 932 00:46:30,200 --> 00:46:32,760 Most at stake? That is the fortress that can 933 00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:36,120 only be penetrated by the Word of God, and that is what you are 934 00:46:36,120 --> 00:46:41,160 equipped as ministers, as missionaries to do, to carry 935 00:46:41,160 --> 00:46:43,880 this gospel, to bring the full truth. 936 00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:47,640 And if I could show so and so the evidence you've got all the 937 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:50,440 evidence you need, the testimony of what Jesus has done for you, 938 00:46:50,920 --> 00:46:53,040 the simplicity of the good news of the gospel. 939 00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:54,800 It's enough. Trust in it. 940 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:58,400 Let the foolishness of that preaching be enough, and the 941 00:46:58,400 --> 00:47:01,120 Lord will sort out the rest. You be faithful. 942 00:47:01,840 --> 00:47:03,360 And after you've done that, you pray. 943 00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:06,200 Pray that the eyes will be opened, your loved ones, your 944 00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:08,120 friends, your family and your enemies. 945 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:13,280 Especially your enemies that the Lord would save and rescue and 946 00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:16,320 make your enemies your brothers. God, that is exactly what you've 947 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:19,360 done with us. You took your enemies and you 948 00:47:19,360 --> 00:47:22,320 made us brothers. You made us sons. 949 00:47:23,520 --> 00:47:25,720 We thank you so much for salvation. 950 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:27,840 We didn't earn it, and we don't deserve it. 951 00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:30,320 And it's by your grace that you penetrated our hearts. 952 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:35,160 You busted through the Stony heart and you replaced it with a 953 00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:37,480 heart of flesh so that we would actually love you. 954 00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:39,920 God, I pray. For anybody under the sound of 955 00:47:39,920 --> 00:47:43,640 my voice who would say, maybe I've just got morality, maybe I 956 00:47:43,640 --> 00:47:45,400 just wanted the Lord to clean up my life. 957 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:49,080 Maybe I just wanted the Lord to to structure my family a little 958 00:47:49,080 --> 00:47:51,720 bit and and have some good Southern Christianity. 959 00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:55,400 If that's you at all and you say, man, I don't, I don't have 960 00:47:55,680 --> 00:47:58,320 a deep conviction over my sin. I don't have a deep affection 961 00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:01,440 for the Lord, then that's something to be repented of 962 00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:03,360 right now and bring to him. He is loving you. 963 00:48:03,360 --> 00:48:08,160 He is drawing you, He is caring for you, He is showing you Jesus 964 00:48:08,160 --> 00:48:09,600 and He is drawing you to the cross. 965 00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:12,560 Jesus has been lifted up in front of you today. 966 00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:15,520 So that you would. Love him and see you would be 967 00:48:15,520 --> 00:48:20,160 thankful for him. So if you're old or if. 968 00:48:20,160 --> 00:48:23,480 You're young and you say I want to love and follow Jesus. 969 00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:26,720 I want to know Him. He is as close as the mention of 970 00:48:26,720 --> 00:48:33,040 his name. Call upon the name of the Lord 971 00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:38,760 and you will be saved. Give him your life and take up 972 00:48:39,240 --> 00:48:43,720 his cross and God for the Saints. 973 00:48:45,200 --> 00:48:47,200 Continue to fill your church with boldness. 974 00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:49,520 Fill your church with your spirit. 975 00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:52,040 That we would be effective in the harvest. 976 00:48:52,040 --> 00:48:56,240 The harvest is ready. It's the laborers that are few. 977 00:48:57,080 --> 00:49:01,440 But these laborers, God, these laborers here, they're hungry. 978 00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:04,680 They want to be used by you. They're being trained and 979 00:49:04,680 --> 00:49:06,800 equipped by you and by their pastor. 980 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:10,880 That we pray for those persons of peace. 981 00:49:10,880 --> 00:49:13,240 And we pray that you would lead us even today. 982 00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:16,760 We pray you would lead us even this week to make progress. 983 00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:20,280 Help us not to be distracted by accusations and by demands for 984 00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:22,960 evidence. And help us to lovingly and 985 00:49:22,960 --> 00:49:28,440 joyfully give the best that we have Your word, the gospel, and 986 00:49:28,440 --> 00:49:30,440 the testimony of what you've done in our lives. 987 00:49:31,120 --> 00:49:33,800 All we have to do is share what we've witnessed, what you've 988 00:49:33,800 --> 00:49:37,920 done in US and for us. You will do the work of 989 00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:41,920 penetrating the Stony heart. As we pray, as we seek, as we 990 00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:45,120 knock, we expect that the door will be opened. 991 00:49:46,040 --> 00:49:49,800 God save our loved ones. Save our husbands, our wives, 992 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:57,400 our sons, our daughters, our mothers, our fathers, our aunts, 993 00:49:57,400 --> 00:50:02,640 our uncles, our cousins, our nephews, our nieces. 994 00:50:04,240 --> 00:50:10,880 Save our bosses, save our employees, save our Co workers. 995 00:50:11,480 --> 00:50:15,640 God, save our politicians, Democrat and Republican. 996 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:19,080 Bring them to true submission to you Jesus. 997 00:50:20,600 --> 00:50:24,200 God, would you bring a revival to this country where you would 998 00:50:24,200 --> 00:50:26,520 get all the glory, where there wouldn't be a man at the front 999 00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:30,680 of it except the man Jesus Christ, the God, man, the 1000 00:50:30,680 --> 00:50:40,280 greater man, the second Adam. God rescue this nation not with 1001 00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:48,440 an election, but with a king. We love you Lord, we walk in 1002 00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:53,920 humility before you. We thank you Holy Spirit for 1003 00:50:53,920 --> 00:50:56,840 your strength and for your leadership in Jesus name. 1004 00:50:59,600 --> 00:51:01,680 And now the Lord bless you and keep you. 1005 00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:05,840 The Lord make his face Shinedown upon you, and be gracious to 1006 00:51:05,840 --> 00:51:08,360 you. The Lord lift up his countenance 1007 00:51:08,360 --> 00:51:13,880 upon you and give you great peace in Jesus name, Amen.